A "barn find" '83 Chevy Scottsdale short box pickup has just turned up. Owned since new by a now 88 year old gent who can't drive anymore. A good #2 + truck with only 32000 miles on it. Equipped with factory rally wheels,side moldings, and those aluminum running boards that were so popular 20 years ago. It's a 305 automatic. It's a sweetheart. Already there's a guy looking at it with the idea of swapping in a Corvette mill, bla bla bla. I need another collectable like I need three eyes, but I might buy this one just to save it. ... View more

I still have a collection of car ads I've accumulated over the years, ranging from 1911 (I found a trove of old farm magazines) into the late sixties. The classic Beetle ads are still my favorites. One line that I still use while taking someone for a drive in my 5 speed Jeep TJ is "After a while it becomes automatic" ! ... View more

My dad was born on a farm, which was foreclosed on and lost in the Great Depression. Years later, he bought a farm of his own and started collecting and restoring antique John Deere tractors. He was disappointed that neither of his sons shared his love for farming. I started into and am still involved with antique cars. I would help dad start and run his tractors when he was no longer able to turn over those big flywheels himself. I wish he was still around .Cherish your parents. They are an all too fleeting treasure. Thank you for a great story. ... View more

I had a CJ5 with the Dauntless engine in it. It had had a rough life before I bought it, including being used as a snow plow. It still had lots of spunk, up to about 55 mph. The gearing in the CJ saw to that. I still have a '92 Buick Park Avenue ,which I bought used in 2000. It has seldom seen a northern winter and despite having over 302,000 KM. on it, runs like a watch. It's only one year away from qualifying for Historic plates ! It's semi-retired now, but I still prefer it for road trips over modern SUVs. ... View more

You definitely can't beat investing in a 1967-72 Chevy truck. I bought my '72 C20 in 1984 when it was just a used truck. We did a cab on restoration in 1988, followed by mechanical upgrades (400 SBC, 3.73 gears.700R4 auto) in years following. It still shows well, tows well, and drives well. ... View more

I have to question whether the 1966 Cadillac was the first to offer optional heated seats. I once had a '62 Studebaker Gran Turismo GT Hawk. While driving it rather fast on a winding road, I happened to notice a toggle switch on the dash. I flipped it on. At first nothing noticeable happened, then smoke began pouring out from under my seat ! After a sudden stop, I bailed out of the car. It turned out the car had a heated seat, and years of accumulated dust bunnies on the elements were what was causing the smoke. ... View more

I lost all interest in Jeep with the demise of the TJ in 2006. They're too big and too complicated ,and appear to me to be Hummer wannabes. Just my humble opinion,of course. To each their own. My mint '99 TJ is a keeper. ... View more

Great story and somewhat familiar. I was only ten when I first became attracted to old cars. I still have my first scrapbook (1958). I met and became friends with a local classic car collector, who mentored me into the hobby (obsession ?). He sold me a 1939 LaSalle sedan for $75 (1961) which dad reluctantly towed the five miles home behind his two cylinder John Deere. There have been many cars and adventures since then. I'm looking for a local kid with similar youthful eccentricities to help along the way. One of my grandkids seems to have wheels in his genes, but he's only 18 months old and I'm 72. Don't know if I'll live long enough to help him into cars ! ... View more

I wasn't much older than you when I bought a '62 Studebaker Hawk. It was a great car. It handled well and performed admirably. Just a word of warning. I was cruising a winding secondary road at speeds a little faster than I should have been. It was at this time that I noticed a toggle switch on the dash. I flipped it on with no immediate results. Suddenly, the interior started to fill with smoke. I pulled to the side of the road and bailed out. Turns out the car was equipped with an underseat heater,controlled by the above mentioned switch.Years of accumulated dust bunnies had started to smolder ! Don't touch that switch ! ... View more

I bought some good used kitchen cabinets for next to nothing and painted them a "professional grey". They greatly reduce the cluttered appearance of open shelves. My other problem is that I have too many cars and no room to work ! ... View more

I bought a '40 Olds coupe from a scrap yard for parts for my nice original '40 coupe. Funny though,how you buy a parts car and never need any parts off it. The frame and badly shot up and decomposing body shell are still back in the woods. Also found a nice original green rubber floor mat to replace the tired black one in my '72 Chevy pickup. ... View more

Many early American cars were RH drive, although always driven on the right side of the road. Pierce-Arrow built RH drive cars until 1920. ... View more

Packard's entry in the mid-price field was pretty spartan looking, but a couple of factory add-ons made it look more like it's high-end siblings. I added the Goddess of Speed hood ornament , grill guard, and wheel trim rings to give it some period pizzaz. ... View more

I have a pair of 1920's cars ,a 1921 Chevy roadster-pickup and a '25 Buick coupe. Both are a joy to drive in the 25-45 MPH range. With manual spark and throttle levers, and in the case of the Buick, a reverse H shift pattern, there is always something to keep you focused. Fortunately, I live in a rural area where speed and traffic aren't a major issue. ... View more

I worked as a parts counter man for over 50 years and am one of the lucky ones to not have to retire to a padded room. Customer attitude plays a big role in the kind of service you will get. I would go the extra mile sourcing parts for someone who treated me with respect. I would never try to oversell product (like high priced snow tires to a senior who never left the city ),much to my boss's chagrin. Things like that build trust between you and your customer. At the dealership where I worked for 42 years,we had a set of parts books that went back into the 1940's and a couple of us still knew how to use them. It's amazing how many parts work for years (ignition parts for my '29 Buick are still available off the shelf) ! I had many customers that would only deal with me, but retirement was and is still welcome. ... View more

I've always loved Jeeps, and I've had four,an MB, a CJ5,a YJ and now a '99 TJ Sahara. The latest ,the TJ ,will likely be a keeper. It spent it's life in BC and Arizona, so, unlike most Jeeps here in the heart of road salt country ,this one is and will remain rust free. With it's soft top and half doors, it's the ultimate summer toy. ... View more

Many years ago, I acquired a chest with ten parts trays from an old service garage. There are odd brass fittings, screws and nuts, generator brushes,even Model T coil points. I have found things in there that have saved me many trips to town over the years.   ... View more

I bought an accessory Goddess of Speed hood ornament for our '40 Packard. It fell out of my hands while placing on a shelf for future installation and the glass wing shattered. A repro wing was purchased ,but it's not original ! ... View more

I live in a rural area of southern Ontario and commuted 15 miles each way .My favorite winter beater was a Buick LeSabre, preferably a '95 or newer.These had a better rocker panel design that didn't rust as bad. A combination of an indestructable and fuel efficient 3.8 V6,ABS, traction control,front wheel drive, and enough weight to keep it stable made for a very comfortable and reliable winter ride.   ... View more

The city of London, Ontario had a fleet of 700 and 900 series LaFrance trucks .Most were housed in single bay fire stations. I well remember as a kid admiring them sitting out in front of the station. Thanks for triggering the recollections. ... View more

Always loved the pre-1968 Beetle convertibles (with the old style bumpers), and I'd still be happy with a regular sized one. He can keep the oversized one. I would much rather have the beautiful gold '30-'31 Cadillac Phaeton in the background. ... View more

I have an interesting variety of cars in my stable,from 1921 to 2013. My 2 oldest 1920's cars  (a '21 Chevy and a '25 Buick coupe) are mostly relegated to trailer queen status now,even though I live in a rural area. Their cruising speed (28 and 35 MPH respectively) is just too slow even for secondary paved roads. My big '29 McLaughlin Buick can cruise nicely at 50 MPH, but driving a 4400 lb. car  with power assist nothing and mechanical brakes in traffic is no treat. The '40 Packard can also cruise all day at 50-55 MPH and has the advantage of excellent hydraulic brakes.  Why,do you ask, do I bother to keep such ancient beasts if I can't enjoy them ? The fact of the matter is I do enjoy them. Even if it's only a couple of miles in the evening when the traffic is lighter,or giving the uninitiated a garage tour, or just walking around them and giving them a dusting, it's a joy to me to see the historic progression of automotive technology through the years. I have a couple of 1970's trucks (a '72 C20 Chevy pickup and a '78 GMC Caballero) that I do drive regularly, and they both get a lot of admiring looks. They weren't purchased as collectables, it's just that I've owned them for so long they've reached that plateau ! It seems the next generation doesn't share my enthusiasm. Neither of my kids even have a garage at their residence. My son (and future executor) wants me to start downsizing. He doesn't seem to appreciate it when I tell him that will be his job after my demise. I should sell off a few of them...... someday.   ... View more

Or perhaps a "flotilla" ? ... View more

It's hard to beat the style of an XK150 both outside of and under the hood. However,I used to work at a British car dealership and even the British-born mechanics used to pull their hair out trying to keep the darn things tuned properly. ... View more

The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Forum has a section for just that and a body of expert members that have rarely been stumped.  ... View more

I bought my '25 Buick coupe through an estate sale. It had been restored in the '70's, then squirreled away in a basement garage.The last gas was added in 1992 to make a brief appearance at a wedding. The spark plugs and wires had been removed when I bought it. A complete cleaning of the fuel system was the first order of business. Getting an old vacuum tank (precursor of the fuel pump) to work is a tricky piece of business. After changing all fluids and installing plugs and wires,we were ready to start it. Nope. Not even a cough. The engine looks much like a stovebolt Chevy and I assumed the firing order would be the same too,153624. Nope.After everything else fails,read the manual. Turns out it's 142635. After a quick rearranging of the plug wires,it fired right up. Time for a test drive. Put it in low gear,Let out the clutch.Stall. Repeat.Same result. Read manual. The '25 Buick has a reverse pattern shift . Third gear is where first should be. It drives ! Remember to double clutch.Remember to advance the spark. Remember that you have mechanical brakes. The joy of resurrecting a 97 year old piece of history ? Priceless !   ... View more

I dropped my camera on the concrete floor at a car show at the Hadfield estate.The little door that holds the battery would no longer stay closed. Chris Hadfield (the astronaut) offered to fix it for me. He proceeded to duct tape it together. He remarked that he'd never go into space without it ! ... View more

When I was still a teen in high school I got to know a local classic car collector who took me under his wing.He sold me a '39 LaSalle sedan,which was the beginning of a long relationship with the old car hobby. Last year,while my wife ran in for a few groceries.I was sitting in the parking lot with our '40 Packard Coupe. A young father with two kids ,a girl about 10 and a boy about 8.pulled into the space ahead of me. I could almost lip read what the boy was saying, as he pointed at the Packard.His dad must have said "ask the man who owns one" because the young fellow shyly approached me and asked me what year it was. I told him it was even older than his dad. "Wow",he said. I let him get behind the wheel and told him all about the car. His dad thanked me for taking the time to talk to him.Believe me,it was a pleasure.Maybe I planted a seed. ... View more

I really enjoyed your military vehicle video. It was nice of you to give lip service to Ford and GM Canada. After the evacuation at Dunkirk,the British were in dire straits.Canada produced over 850,000 military vehicles during WW2, which was no small feat This kept the Commonwealth countries in the fight until and after the US entered the war.   ... View more

You need to have the RIGHT tow vehicle and the RIGHT auto hauler. Before I had my own equipment, the village that used to own my fire engine sent a guy to pick it up for a show in it's home town. He was driving a "Li'l Red Express" short wheelbase Dodge pickup with a 14 ft. trailer. The fire engine was 18 ft.long. We loaded it anyway,and once on the freeway the trailer whipped all over the road. A big rig blocked traffic behind us while our driver tried to sort things out. The saving factor was the 383 V8 in the Dodge. A sudden shot of power straightened out the trailer. We crawled to the next exit and went home. ... View more

I owned several Renaults (I'm a slow learner). My favorite was a 1971 16TS. It was as quirky as they came, with a 4 cylinder hemi, 4 on the tree,and different wheelbases left and right. It had headlights that could be adjusted up or down with a big knob under the dash, in case you were carrying an engine block in the generous cargo area. The biggest issue was rust.It had no inner fenders and after only two years, it rusted out right where the main wiring junction box was located, causing endless shorts. It was a great highway cruiser,with comfortable naugahyde seats and good performance. Just don't get it wet ! ... View more